Our Christmas

This year marks only the 2nd time that I haven't been with my family on Christmas Eve. The first time I missed this tradition was the night we got engaged. It goes without saying that Mark had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, he had to work on Christmas Eve. He was home by 6:00, at which time we had a delicious dinner and a very nice evening with his parents; but, I spent much of the day finishing up last minute shopping and running errands. I even did a load of laundry. Like I said, though, once my hubby got home all was right with the world and the night turned out wonderfully. We introduced his parents to "A Christmas Story!" That night we opened our gifts that had arrived in the mail and were humbled by everyone's generosity.

Christmas morning we slept in until almost noon. It was quite nice to not have to be up and about any earlier in the day. We exchanged our gifts to each other - we had already purchased a new 42" HDTV which was our "real" gift to each other but set a $100 limit on little things to open from each other on Christmas morning. Mark, of course, blew the limit - he got me the Wicked soundtrack and tickets to see it again! He had hoped to get tickets for us to see it in L.A. before it leaves but, since it closes next week, he couldn't find any priced within reason so we're planning on seeing it on a long weekend either in San Francisco in March of in Phoenix in July. I actually worked as a stagehand at the theatre where it is playing in Arizona so that'd be fun but it's Phoenix...in July! We'll see. The point is that he is sacrificing yet another evening to take me to a musical that we've already seen, because he knows how happy it makes me.

Later in the evening, we went to see the lights at Griffith Park, near the L.A. Zoo. The Department of Water and Power puts on a show every year and, though the lights are the same every time, we have tried to go every year. We missed last year but this year we were able to take the dog with us on the mile and a half walk through the 40 degree chilliness. People can drive through as well, and we did this the first few years, but it's more fun (and much quicker) to park and walk through it.

Weekly Weigh In

I started my WW week by missing my meeting. :( I then had a cold, two finals, and five Christmas parties! Needless to say, this week was ridiculous as far as weight loss goes. I went to my meeting this morning to find an additional 2 lbs on the scale. Although it is a step in the wrong direction, and my goal was to maintain, 2 lbs really isn't that much considering all of the splurging I'd done. We even went out to dinner last night and I know my enchilada and margaritas were still in my belly when I weighed in this morning.

This week, I'll be off from work and that, obviously, throws my routine off a bit. I'm also planning on baking a plethora of cookies to (mostly) give away to the managers and staff at BJ's. My goal is to be sure to drink plenty of water everyday and, again, to maintain this week's weight at next week's meeting. I'd also like to incorporate just a tad bit of exercise. If you haven't noticed, when I talk about weight loss, I am always focused on the eating but NEVER focus on the exercise. WW started a new program, called Momentum, and I got all new materials this morning. In my weigh in book, I restarted at week 1. I think that will help me to feel more motivated to get on the ball again since the slate has, in essence, been wiped clean.

Weekly Weigh In

I had every intention of attending my weekly meeting on Saturday morning, even as I finally passed out after 2 on Friday night. Unfortunately, an alarm clock doesn't sound when it is not set and I didn't wake up until after 10. Needless to say, I missed my 9 a.m. meeting. I have weighed myself at home though and, to my dismay, I maintained my weight from last weekend. I suppose I should be grateful. Afterall, I didn't gain anything and my prior week's weight loss was substantial; but, I was really hoping to break through this plateau and move the second number in my weight down one.

This week is going to be a challenge. As I type, I am getting ready for a cookie exchange party at my co-teacher's house. (I made Eggnog Snickerdoodles and they are so yummy!) Plus, Tuesday afternoon, I'm hosting a department potluck in my classroom; Thursday afternoon is an all-staff mixer at a BBQ joint near the school; and we have plans with friends to go out for dinner on Friday evening. Maintenance this week will be key. I'm planning on switching back to the Flex plan this week and count my points diligently. Wish me luck!

A Magical Evening

Lindsay turned 29th on the 13th and, to celebrate, we all went out to Magic Castle in Hollywood (check it out at: http://www.magiccastle.com/). It's this ultra-exclusive dinner club in a historic castle that was built when Hollywood was nothing but a vast lot of land filled with nothing. It has an incredible aura and is kinda creepy at times. We were told that the place was built to throw people off. Everything in it, apparently, is crooked. The floor slopes, the doorways are slanted, and none of the pictures are hung straight. You wouldn't know it but it's meant to make you confused. There were three levels and about 5 or 6 bars. We basically wandered through the place, taking in shows as we could. Dinner was amazing, Mark had steak Milton with crab and bearnaise and I had short ribs (my new steakhosue favorite). In all, it was a great night with great friends and, I think, Lindsay had a fantastic birthday!

Weekly Weigh In

I was very excited to weigh in today since I had tried a new version of WW this past week. When I stepped on the scale, I had lost (drumroll please)...5.4 lbs!!! Wow, what a week! And I feel like I didn't have to really try too hard to do it. I had a slice of pizza one night and a couple caesar salads with regular dressing throughout the week. I definitely enjoyed the core plan and am excited to try it again this week!

My total weight loss, however, is only 4.6 lbs as I had lost and gained so much that I was heavier last week than I was when I started. But, I'm back on track and ready to commit to the program.

Happy Thoughts

I just got off the phone with my good friend, Karen. It's her 29th birthday today and we had a great, long conversation catching up and discussing the difficulties of growing older. It sucks but growing up sure does happen to us all. She informed me that her brother, who lives in Japan, was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma and that he's awaiting further test results to determine what stage it is in. She said that he seems positive and that Lymphoma is actually curable so he is hopeful that it is in a beginning stage. When thinking happy thoughts, please send some her way. I know she and her family could use them.

Yet another reason my husband's so great...

I had a somewhat crummy afternoon today and really wanted to get home to see Mark for just a few minutes before he had to leave for his 4:00 shift. I left school at 3:00 and should have been home NO LATER than 3:20. Unfortunately, traffic was horrendous and I ended up calling him to tell him to go ahead and leave. The frustration of my afternoon conversation with my boss along with the traffic's determination to prevent me from seeing my hubby had me in tears. When I finally pulled up, 20 minutes later, he was waiting for me in the driveway. I gave him a quick hug and kiss and he headed off to work. He arrived 20 minutes late himself but because he knew it meant that much to me, he was there when I got home.

A New Plan of Action

I was brave and attended my WW meeting on Saturday, a mere 40 hours after our Thanksgiving feast. While I'm not proud of the results I saw on the scale, I have decided to change up my plan this week. I'm going to try the "core" plan as opposed to the points-counting "flex" plan. Wish me luck. With this plan, I can eat as much as I want until I'm satisfied but I can only eat foods from a designated list. The list seems similar to the Zone diet as it comprises of foods from all of the food groups but it is limited with regard to the ever-villainous carbs. I went shopping this morning and feel good about it so far. I do think I'll go back to the points system after this week but hopefully I'll see some results and I'll be able to kick myself back into action.

New Traditions

For the third year in a row, Mark and I celebrated Thanksgiving with dinner, wine, and games at Adam and Lindsay's place. This year, we were also joined by Lindsay's sister which made the day that much better. Adam and Lindsay do all of the dinner cooking while I, of course, am in charge of desserts and we all chip in on the wine (we sure do go through a lot of it!). We got to their place around 4:00, had a great dinner (just like my mom and Grandma used to make!) and played several rounds of Cranium, Guesstures, and Pictionary. Instead of coupling up, we picked teams from a hat and, I must add, my team won 3 out of 4 games. Chelsea and I were quite the dynamic pictionary duo. We didn't call it a night until after 3 a.m.! Just goes to show what a great time we had!

Update

Is it crazy to anyone else that Thanksgiving is next week already?!?! I just can't believe how fast time flies...

I only had to work four days last week due to the Veteran's Day holiday. I took advantage of the day off and got my hair cut. It's been in desperate need for months now, I haven't had a cut since March! I decided to go with bangs. They're still growing on me and I may just let them grow out but it was something different to try. Afterall, it is only hair.

My weigh-in went as expected this past weekend, considering I had missed the last two meetings. I gained 1.2 lbs. I told my leader that I am doing a heck of a job maintaining my weight. Too bad I have 20 lbs to lose! At least I went to the meeting. My leader gave me props for that decision. With the holidays upon us, going to the meetings will at least keep my mind focused and I won't gain as much as I would if I wasn't going to meetings. Plus, not going to Michigan for the holidays will help me from overindulging. I tend to REALLY overdo it with Jet's Pizza and Phoenix Coney Island!

My softball team has become kind of sad. With all of our busy lives, I don't think we've had the whole team together all season. Instead, we have subs filling in and, while it's still fun, we're having difficulty winning. This past Friday, the other team forfeited so we get the W.

November is pretty relaxed at Long Beach State. My Tuesday night class hasn't met all month, though we do have assignments to be working on. It has helped to have the extra evening to get stuff done.

Mark's dad turned 67 on Friday - Happy Birthday Nosh! The spent the day at the racetrack and we had dinner all together. It was a nice evening.

Life is good. It really is busy and time really is flying by but I'm happy and healthy and things have been good.

Pictures

I just added our pictures from Oktoberfest on Mark's birthday as well as more from Halloween. In the Oktoberfest pics, you'll see the yodeling contest Mark convinced his stone-cold sober wife to participate in and then I, in-turn, convinces Lindsay to come on stage with me. As you'll see, she was none too pleased. But, what a memory!

Pics are at: www.lajcisinlove.shutterfly.com
Password is: missymark0811 (all lower case)

Midterm!

I am so proud of myself! I got my midterm for my Wednesday night class back tonight and I got 14.5 out of 15 and my professor wrote "Melissa - You achieved one of the highest schores on the exam, congratulations! Impressive work!!" Hooray!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning...

I woke up Friday morning to the sound of rain beating our roof. Rain! I love rain every once in awhile and I hadn't seen it in months! It had stopped by the time I left for work but the sky was still very dark and gloomy (in the best way possible). When I exited the freeway, the clouds above my school had parted and the beautiful orangey, red of the sunrise gleamed through. It looked as though someone had taken a paintbrush and swiped the sky with a mix of these beautiful warm colors. At moments like these, when the sky looks especially beautiful, my thoughts turn to heaven and those I love. On this particular morning, October 31, I thought of both of my grandmothers. My mom's mom passed away on November 1st when I was 9 and my dad's mom passed away on October 27 when I was 18. Both ladies were very special to me. When I got out of my car at school, I looked to the sky and saw the most beautiful double rainbow I have ever seen. In that moment, I knew that my grandmas were looking down on me and I felt them smiling.

Proud to be an American!

I voted for president for the first time in my life! What an experience.

Happy Halloween!!!

Mark and I went out with Lindsay and Adam for the second year in a row and, again, people loved our costumes. Twosome costumes are fun but seeing a foursome walking around is always a crowd pleaser. We started the night at "Big Wangs Wings" with dinner and drinks and then headed to a couple of parties that Lindsay's friends were throwing. The night ended at about 4:30 on Saturday morning when Mark and I finally hit the hay!

Crazy, CRAZY Morning...

I've recently come to the realization that everyday is a crazy day in my classroom. But, today was definitely an exceptionally crazy one...

I went to the office to sign in to find a student (who isn't in my classroom but, as department chair and an all-around nice person, I care about her) marching through the office after scratching her 1:1 paraeducator so badly she was bleeding and trying to run off campus. She told the assitant principal that she wanted to F*@# her up to which my assistant principal calmly replied that she preferred she didn't. I found that hilarious.

At the ned of 1st period, I learned that the student who had bitten me almost a year ago had injured the adaptive p.e. specialist and one of our paraeducators. Apparently, he was upset and was squeezing the APE teachers arms when the paraeductor intervened. The student then pinched the paraeducator's arm so hard that it left a four finger hickey on the upper arm of the para.

During 2nd period, the director of special ed. decided to stop by the room to discuss our caseload overages. Well, my co-teacher and I hadn't realized that we were even over at all! Apparently, our classroom is considered a part of the SH category (severely handicapped) - I had always thought is was part of the M/M category (mild/moderate) as the majority of students have moderate disabilities. M/M classes have a maximum of 18 students each and SH classes have a maximum of 12 students each. The clarification of our classification as SH had recently been made since we just got a new principle who was trying to understand our program. My co-teacher and I have a combined total of 35 students, which means that we are an entire caseload over for SH classes. Instead of hiring another teacher for this school year, our boss offered us each one substitute day each week for us to work in the classroom on IEPs or lesson plans or anything else school related. Sweet! Now, here came the bad news. I have a M/M credential. My boss told me today that, unless I want to go back to school, I may not be able to teach in my classroom again next year!!! Well, I AM in school but I'm working toward a Level II M/M credential and, if I want to get a SH credential, I have to start all over again (like back to ASU days!). We continued our discussion and are going to have many, many more before the year is over but we're thinking that if we strategically place students who are more moderate on my caseload then I should be fine. We'll see... Maybe I'll be looking for a new job next summer! :(

3rd period started with a phone call from a paraeducator who supervises students in the strength and conditioning class informing me that one of my students had hit a girl so hard it left a handprint on her back. He was kicked out of class for the last time and is going to be dropped permanently from it. He came into class, upset of course, and I closed my office door to call his mother to let her know what had happened. My co-teacher was in the classroom. While the door was closed and I was on the phone with the parent, two more of my students decided to get into a physical fight over colored pencils which resulted in the smaller of the two being scratched pretty severely on his neck and the larger of the two planting himself on the floor in front of the refrigerator about ten minutes before snack. UGH!!! I got off the phone with parent #1 who, of course, blames the other student and the teacher for her son making a handprint on the back of a girl half his size and ran up to the nurse's office to take pictures of the scratches for student records and to get an accident report. Returning to the classroom, I made an executive decision to send the scratcher home so I called his parents but got the voicemail (of course!). I then had to call the mother of the scratchee at work to inform her that her child had been assaulted at school and that I was not there to witness the altercation. Not a fun call to make. Luckily, my parents are all pretty awesome and understanding! Meanwhile, administration had gotten involved and the p.e. girl-hitter was suspended for the rest of the day. I took him to the office and while his dad was walking out the door with him, the scratcher's dad walked in the door for his son. We literally had a revolving door for a minute!

The rest of the day went farily smoothly. One student stormed out of the classroom - the student who doesn't talk to me. Another student who has auditory hallucinations came in from lunch looking miserable and complaining of feeling faint and we had to call security to come pick her up. But, that was nothing compared to the first three periods of the day!

All in a day's work, I suppose. ;)

Weekly Weigh In

I lost a pound last week! I feel pretty good about it because I had made Mark a carrot cake from scratch that was absolutely delicious but also that lingered at the house for a few days until we managed to eat the entire thing. Plus, I've really been feeling in a slump lately and I'm just pleased to be moving in the right direction.

Illegal Blogging!

I am SO at work right now but it's a time of day called SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) and the whole school is to be reading for 15-20 minutes. This is when I check up on everyone's blogs! Hey, that's reading! :) I haven't written anything in awhile and I intend to do so soon. A quick run down of the last several days: my softball team won despite my first strike out fo the season, I gained weight last week (talk about yo-yo!) but feel that I'm doing really well so far this week, Mark's 32nd birthday was great! (filled with delicious dinner and homemade cake and fun at Oktoberfest), I'm working on the 2nd IEP of the week... Well, there's the timer. Suppose I should actually work right now, that IS why I get paid the big bucks! ;)

Spider Season

I HATE spiders! Hate, hate, HATE them!!! And, they are EVERYWHERE right now. The daddy long-legs that like to hide out in the corners of our house and in the shower (eeek!) I can handle. But, this afternoon, I walked out the front door and the beginnings of an enormous web caught my eye. Upon further investigation, I saw the biggest, furriest spider that I have ever seen not in a cage. I tried to take a picture with my phone but, of course, couldn't get close enough. When I returned home, the web was finished and, like I anticipated, enormous. It makes my toes curl just thinking about it!

I'm brilliant!!!

Well, not really, but I scored 19/20 on my first exam in my Tuesday night class and I am quite pleased with myself to say the least. I was really quite anxious about it and studied very hard in order to be successful. At this point, I'm averaging a 4.0 in both of my classes but I still have some major assignments and several exams before the semester is over...

A Grown Up Decision & A Heartbreaking Loss

As many of you know, Mark and I went to a Dodgers playoff game on Sunday (we won!) and, while there, were given two tickets for Monday's game as well with the idea that we would pay the guy who gave them to us the next time we saw him. Well, Monday afternoon I really wasn't feeling well plus I had reading to do for my classes this week plus it would have been an additional $160. So, we made a grown up decision and sold the tickets and watched the game from home instead. I read during the commercial breaks, took some NyQuil, and hit the hay early.

Later this week, my boys in blue ended their season. Mark's parents were complaining that they were playing so badly (like one of our best players getting 3 errors in one inning!) but I say they simply lost to a superior team. Only 5 more months 'til only day!!!

Sending Happy Thoughts!

My Aunt Nancy Bogosian, my Godmother, has been in the hospital since last Tuesday for surgery on her colon. I talked with Uncle Memo on Wednesday and he said that the surgery went well and that she'd be in the hospital until at least Sunday. I just got off the phone with her, though, and she is happily recovering at home this evening. She said that she feels really good. A little sore, but MUCH better than she thought she would feel. When thinking happy thoughts, please send some her way!

Friday Inferno

My softball team lost last night. I didn't do so hot with only 1 walk, 2 ground outs, and 1 foul out. Plus, being in the outfield again, I totally missed a ball that was hit to me. I looked like a complete idiot floundering out there. Oh well. I really enjoy being on the team and I am the exact opposite of competitive when it comes to sports. Give me a board game anyday and I will kick your @#% though!

Whew! What a week...

Last Sunday's to do list included the following:
-Midterm exam on Tuesday night (that's the biggest stresser at this point)
-Final research project outline due on Wednesday night
-Readings for Wednesday night
-Department Chair meeting on Monday after school
-Start the 5 IEPs due this month at work
-Pay October's bills
-End the week with a departmental happy hour on Friday afternoon

Progress so far:
-I think I did pretty well on my midterm. After studying all weekend, Mark quizzed me and was really amazed at my brilliance! :) He said his brain hurt after we were done.
-Research project outline done. I realized it wasn't graded but merely to give my professor an idea of what I will be working on so I did my best with hopes of feedback from him.
-Yeah, my readings didn't get done. We did, however, have a quickwrite in class which meant that I was supposed to cite authors and their opinions in response to a question when given only 20 minutes. Luckily, before the quickwrite, we got into groups to discuss the readings pretty thoroughly. I think I did okay considering I didn't read a thing for class! Bad, Melissa.
-No sweat for the department chair meeting, just an hour out of my day.
-Started my IEPs Individualized Educational Programs - each student in special ed. has one - they average about 12 pages each and include all the goals for the next year, we have to meet annually to discuss progress. I think 5 in one month is the most I've ever had to complete! The meetings all start on Tuesday. I have a meeting on the 14, 16, 21, 23, and 28!
-October bills are paid.
-Happy hour was enjoyed and very much needed.

On top of my anticipated list of things to deal with, some other highlights of my week include a fire drill at school (kids with Autism HATE fire drills), the most disgusting bloody nose I've ever had to deal with (let's just say that that kid did some serious digging for gold!), a City of Cerritos (where my school is at) Council meeting in support of a motion to increase funding for adaptive programs in the city (it passed!), and FINALLY receiving a compliment from a parent who has spent the last 3 years telling me what I'm doing wrong and exactly how I should be teaching her son.

Weekly Weigh-In

I'm down 1.8 pounds this week! I did (almost) everything that I didn't do last week. I logged everything I ate, EVERYTHING. I drank lots and lots of water (In my opinion, the only "miracle weight loss" serum in the world). I went to my meeting. Again, my new leader is great and I am looking forward to continuing my weight loss journey with her guiding me along the way.

Busy, busy, busy...

Many of you have created a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days and I had every intention of creating one for myself, I just never did. As I do every Sunday, I am getting ready for another crazy week of work and school. Some major things to check off my list this week are:

-Midterm exam on Tuesday night (that's the biggest stresser at this point)
-Final research project outline due on Wednesday night
-Readings for Wednesday night
-Department Chair meeting on Monday after school
-Start the 5 IEPs due this month at work
-Pay October's bills
-End the week with a departmental happy hour on Friday afternoon

I just gotta get through my exam on Tuesday and I know I will feel better about the week...

Cupcakes and a Clinch

I spent a good portion of the day yesterday creating these beautiful cupcakes for Mark's staff at the restaurant. I baked and hand decorated a grand total of 75 and everyone loved them, of course.

Last night, we had tickets for the Dodgers first home game of the NLDS (the first round of World Series playoffs). They had been in Chicago earlier last week and outscored the Cubs 17-5 in the first two games of the series. To say that Mark and I love the Dodgers is an understatement. Like I text to many of you last night, I have never felt so strongly toward any team, institution, or public figure before in my life. You can imagine our excitement simply to be at a playoff game. But, when we WON, it was craziness!!! Mark literally lost his voice and I, of course, cried. :) There was just such an insane energy in the stadium, it was an amazing night.

OK, Fine!

After my Aunt Robin responded to my post about my weekly weigh in, I felt supported, motivated, and a little bit guilty. So, I dragged myself out of bed early this morning and went to a meeting. Of the 2.2 lbs that I lost last week, I gained back 2. Not a good week, but I knew it hadn't been. Sometimes, though, the leader seems to be speaking right to me and the topic of the week seems to be written just for my circumstance. Of course, I know that's not the case but the topic of this week was about learning from past mistakes in order to be successful now and in the future. The leader ended with the thought that it's ok not to be perfect and it's ok to have bad weeks. It's even ok to gain once in awhile if you are learning from your mistakes. She said that it's our nature to come to meetings when we know we've done well but the moment that we feel that we've "been bad" is when we skip a meeting or two. She said that that's when we need to be there the most. I seriously had tears in my eyes, she really hit a chord. Needless to say, I'm so happy that I went to the meeting this morning. I've decided to make Saturday morning my regular meeting from now on - she was just so great! Thanks Aunt Robin!

Friday Inferno

I had my first softball game tonight! Well, it's my team's (Inferno) second game of the season but I didn't go to the first because we had Dodgers tix (which we ended up not using and I spent the weekend sick in bed instead).

We won tonight: 17-10! I walked all four times that I was at bat but I scored 2 runs and 1 more as a pinch runner. I played in the outfield - Right/Center/Rover but boy was I a target out there. The ball was smashed to me a couple of times (hence the other team's 10 runs rather than 5 or 6) but my team was cool with it. I kept telling them that was why I'm normally behind the plate!

Let's Go Dodgers!!!

Our boys in blue are on their way to being up 2-1 in the National League Division Series against the Cubs. We are going to the game on Saturday and can't wait! Hopefully, we will witness the clinch!

Weekly Weigh In

Things I did wrong this week:

1) I did not write down one single thing that I ate.
2) I had more than a couple "splurge" meals.
3) I didn't follow my routine. I didn't eat much all day only to return home starving and overdoing it.
4) I skipped my meeting...

Well, I'm thinking that I am going to switch to Monday evenings. If I do decide to do that, then I will go to a meeting this coming Monday. If I decide not to, I'll return to a meeting next Thursday.

At least I can identify where I went wrong so that I can start fresh again tomorrow.

A New Addition

We have a new little niece! Becky gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Ruby Ann, on Wednesday, October 1st at 6:28 p.m. (Dallas Time) Baby and Mommy are doing well and planning on heading home tomorrow. Congratulations Becky & Matt - we can't wait to meet her!

Weekly Weigh-In

Down another 2.2 lbs this week for a total of 5.4!!! I figure it balances out with last week. I spent much of the past 7 days not feeling well at all which prompted me to not watch what I was eating as closely. I kept count in my head but didn't do any journaling, which usually spells disaster for me.

After my meeting, I usually give myself a little "splurge" meal. Nothing too crazy but something that I wouldn't eat during the week. Tonight, my splurge was an enormous salad with ranch. Could be worse, I suppose! :)

Things I thought about today...

* I love the toilets at Long Beach State. They have flushers on the floor designed so that you flush with your foot instead of your hand. Ingenious.

* I had a dream last night that one of my students smiled at me. Not that she spoke to me or achieved extreme success in the classroom. Just a smile, is that so much to ask? She's my "project" this year. I guess, technically, they are all my "projects."

* Dodgers' magic number is 2 (at this moment)! We got our playoff tickets in the mail today!!!

* I wonder when Colin's 1st birthday party will be. I wonder when the twins' first communion is. I hope we can make it to both.

* I love driving 90 mph with the windows down listening to Jethro Tull and then Led Zepplin and then something from The Little Mermaid soundtrack. I love Sirius radio.

* Why can't we all just get along? This is my last year as department chair...ok, maybe not!

* The Santa Ana winds can kiss my fat (but slowly slimming) booty. It was 91 degrees when I got out of school this afternoon and it is supposed to be even hotter tomorrow! It's almost October for crying out loud!

* Mark's off this weekend, where are we going to go?

A Special Day

September 20th has been a special day all my life because it is my big brother's birthday! Happy Birthday Mike!!! I think all girls should grow up with a big brother. It is a special relationship that only those of us who have a big brother can truly understand. 4 years isn't a HUGE age difference but it was big enough to prevent us from being super close as kids. In fact, we had our share of disagreements. I, quite frequently, tell the story of how I would hit Mike for doing a multitude of things (like farting at the breakfast table...) and he would tell me that if I hit him, he would hit me back harder. So, of course, I would hit him as hard as I could then run the other direction and, inevitably, get hit even harder. He once told me a story about a man with a hook for a hand that was buried under our pool and, although I knew it was a ridiculous story, when we would swim at night, all Mike would say was "hook" and I would FREAK OUT! As we got older, I learned just how much my big brother cared about me and looked out for me. Now, as a full grown adult, I truly realize just how special the bond between siblings is. Mike is truly the only person in this world who grew up the exact same way that I did and who has been through the exact same trials and tribulations as I have. He is the one person who can share my perspective on a lot of things. I am so thankful to have him for my brother.

September 20th became even more special 7 years ago (on Mike's 25th birthday) when my dad's twins were born. Happy Birthday Emma and Russell!!! Being the baby in the family, I had never been around newborns. I will never forget the first time I saw them in the hospital. I saw Russell first because he didn't have to be in the NICU and he was laying in just a diaper under a heat lamp. When I saw his beautiful little face, I cried (of course) and knew that these kids were something special. The first time I saw Emma, she was in an incubator and I remember feeling so worried for her especially when she couldn't come home when Russell did. I spent a great deal of time with them during their first year and a half of life - almost every weekend during the school year. It is so hard to believe that they are already 7 years old! They are such great kids and I hope one day that they understand just how special they are to me.

Weekly Weigh-In

I'm down another 0.6 lbs. I'm not entirely pleased with this number though because I feel like I did really well in keeping my points totals low for the week (even below my alotted number) but I didn't feel like I had lost anything when I walked through the door. At least it's a small step in the right direction.

I do think that I'm going to change my meeting night. I like the idea of going on Thursday night because, if I mess up over the weekend, I have more time to recuperate. But, I'm just not gelling with the meeting leader on Thursday night. I think it's back to Mondays for me.

Weekly Weigh-In

I weighed in on Thursday and found that I had lost 2.6 lbs! I am pretty pleased. Only 15.4 more to go to reach my first goal...

Back to life, back to reality...

Whew! It's hard to imagine that we've only been back from our summer adventure for 2 weeks, it feels like I've been working all school year already!

I started "working" again just one day after we returned although "working" in this instance means going into my classroom and getting things straightened around. I spent a couple of hours each day trying to get organized for the year and to get my head back into the game. The year (which has consisted of a total of 5 days with students) has been pretty good so far. This year, my coteacher and I have a total of 36 students (our contractual limit) all in one classroom. Well, they technically COULD all be in the same classroom. We have almost all of them in at least one elective class which has put a lot of pressure on our paraeducators because we've scheduled them into a ton of different classes to cover all of the kids who are out in the mainstream. So the first five days has consisted of making sure that all of the students report to the right class at the right time, that they have an adult with them, that all of the adults have their 30 minute lunch and 15 minute break, that all of the parents know how much p.e. clothes and lunch and elective class costs are, that all of the kids get on the right bus, and so on. Needless to say, not much academic teaching has occurred.

On top of all of the classroom issues, MY classes at Long Beach State have started and both of them are REALLY heavy reading courses. I have to read at least five 10-12 page research articles each week for each class and be prepared to synthesize the articles in response to a prompt at any moment, including APA citations. I've heard that one of these two courses is the most difficult in the program so I'm hoping that, once I get through this semester, it'll all be down hill. Part of my issue, only one week into the semester, is that academics have always come so easy for me and, all of a sudden, I'm starting to question myself. I had a great class tonight and I'm starting to ease into the semester - the first couple of weeks are always the most anxious.

Another reality that I've come back to is the fact that I just can't eat Jet's Pizza and drink Labatt without paying a price for it. Oh, how I wish I could. Just for one day, I'd love to NOT have to worry about my weight (as long as I could keep my pretty face!). I rejoined Weight Watchers again last Friday and am planning on going to Thursday evening meetings. I've done the monthly pass thing so I'm paid at least through the end of this month. This week has been pretty good, I'm sure I've lost a pound or two. My goal is to lose 18 before Christmas.

Mark went back to work last Thursday as well. He decided, after BJ's gave him a very generous 5 week vacation, to return to work for them. He has gone back with a vengence too and is super focused right now, I'm so proud of him! He has his annual review on the 18th, which comes with a raise. He also got a $500 Southwest Airlines gift card in celebration of his five year anniversary with the company. I think we're going to use it to go to Seattle for a long weekend to visit some friends. That is, whenever Mark can get a long weekend off again after requesting 5 weeks off! The school district had called him for an interview on the Wednesday before we left for Jamaica and the interview was to be on the following Monday. He explained that we were going to be on vacation but they wouldn't budge on the date. He has pretty much decided that he didn't want to leave BJ's after all but at least he didn't burn any bridges by interviewing and then not accepting the position he would have, undoubtedly, been offered.

All in all, life is slowly getting back to normal...

Pictures!!!

Check out our new picture share website at: http://lajcisinlove.shutterfly.com/

Shh...the password is missymark0811 (all lowercase)

The Best Vacation Ever!

9,000 miles over 4 weeks in a rental car - $450

Gas for those miles - $1000

A shot of Louis XIII for my husband on our anniversary - $130

Penthouse suite in Petosky - $35

Tickets to a Broadway show - $100

Spending an entire month with my husband, family and friends - PRICELESS

Game Plan

We are leaving for our roadtrip of a lifetime TOMORROW!!! Well, technically, extremely early on Wednesday morning. Here's some of the nitty-gritty info:

* We have decided to rent a car to travel in. Mark's dad's cousin works form Hertz so she is able to get us a family discount plus she's getting us a free upgrade to a small SUV (like a Honda CR-V or Ford Escape). We will be picking up a midsize car at Hertz here in Downey on Tuesday morning but I will then be driving it out to the Ontario airport location (about an hour from here) to trade it in for the SUV. I will then spend the day packing and making it comfy and cozy while Mark works his last shift until September 3.

* We WILL be bringing the dog with us. We went back and forth about this for awhile but the thought of leaving him home for almost a month just killed us. Yes, Mark's parents will be around to feed him but it is a really long time for us to leave him alone. He will be travelling with us and camping with us until the 3rd. We will then be taking him to his home away from home - my mom's. Doing it this way, we will have him with us for a couple of days and then he'll be with my mom then we'll be with him again thus avoiding an excessive amount of time away from us.

* King and I will be picking Mark up from work on Tuesday night/Wednesay morning and the three of us will immediately hit the road. We are planning on driving as far and for as long as possible without checking into a motel. If we feel the need to stop, of course we will but we want to get to Michigan asap!

Our itinerary looks something like this:
July 31-August 3: Camping
August 3-4: At my mom's
August 5-8: No plans
August 9: Party at my mom's
August 10: Becky's baby shower at my mom's
August 11: Our anniversary! Staying the night & having dinner at the Ren Cen.
August 12-14(ish): Spending time with Mike & Kristi
August 15-17: Madison for Karen's wedding!
August 18-20: Driving to Boston, spending time with Darin & Millie
August 20-21: Driving to NYC for the night
August 22: Back to my mom's
August 23: Leaving to come back to L.A.
August 26: Return the rental car

Wow, writing it all out like this makes me feel like we aren't going to have enough time but, then again, it's almost a full month! Can't wait to see everyone!!!!

More Pictures

I just got our waterproof cameras developed and uploaded the pictures onto the computer. I wanted to share some pics from the waterfalls, the pool, and the Caribbean...

Mmmm, banana coladas!

Jamaica, Mon!

As you know, Mark and I just returned from our FREE trip to Jamaica and, boy, was it great! We arrived at the airport in Montego Bay to be whisked away (well, after spending 45 minutes to get through customs and immigration) to the Sandals welcome center. They had little finger sandwiches, soda, and, of course, Red Stripe (hooray beer!).

We were then taken to our resort which was all of a ten minute drive from the airport. Since this vacation was "replacing" the one we paid for on our honeymoon and because we spared very little expense for our honeymoon, we again had a concierge suite. The biggest benefit to having this room is the check-in and check-out process. We were served champagne, beer, and rum punch in a beautiful, air-conditioned lounge while the concierge took care of everything and those guests who didn't splurge were left sitting outside in the humidity. After checking in we were given a tour of the resort and I was able to taste my first banana colada since our honeymoon (I'd been craving one for months!). We were then taken to our room where our bags were already waiting.
We quickly changed into our swimsuits and made our way to the swim up bar in the pool. As you can tell from the picture, it was slightly overcast but the cloud cover didn't put any kind of a damper on how excited we were to be there. The whole trip, we kept reminding each other how lucky we felt to be there and how wonderful is was that we got two honeymoons for the price of one! Dinner on Friday night was a Caribbean beach party theme right on the beach and they had all kinds of food - including Jamaican jerk chicken (yum!) and freshly cut coconuts to drink from.
After dinner, we hit the pub at the resort where we met a really nice couple from New York and ended up closing down the place with them. The guys who worked in the pub made our trip so much fun! The bartender was pouring drinks with bottles and glasses on his head, the servers had a dance off, it was a blast! We topped the night off with some flaming Bob Marley shots. They tasted like peppermint or cinnamon. Mark didn't get to taste his since his straw ended up melting! For future reference, this is the shot that made me make a new rule for myself: no shots.

On the way back to the room on Friday night, I tripped going up the stairs and woke up Saturday morning with a swollen, bruised, and scabbed left knee! And, boy, do I wish that was all the hurting I felt from our first night in Jamaica. But, those who know and love me know that I get the worst hangovers known to mankind. For those who didn't know this, being in Jamaica does not make you immune to such things. No sir. I did, indeed, wake up with what may possibly be the worst hangover of my life. :(

Luckily, it rained all day long. Literally, not one drop of sunshine. Thank goodness. I was in bed or on the bathroom floor until about 5:00 at which time we had dinner reservations. Mark (who was SO great all day - drawing me a bubble bath, bringing me food, and watching silly chick flicks with me) convinced me that once I got up and moving I'd be fine. Not true. Not true at all. We skipped our previously scheduled dinner and met up with our new friends from NYC at more casual place where I had to excuse myself numerous times throughout the meal. We ended up back at the pub and, honestly, just walking into the place made me sick to my stomach. I made Mark take me back to the room and, after emptying my stomach one last time, I finally felt like myself again. It was 10:00!!! At that time we decided to take a dip in the pool but not before grabbing our new friends from the pub. We swam and hung out in the hot tub and just enjoyed our new friends' last night in Jamaica. All's well that ends well, I say. But, what a day!

We woke up early Sunday morning to the knock of room service at our door (which we did EVERY morning on this trip) and had the front desk call us a cab to take us to Dunns River Falls. When the taxi pulled up, we found out that we had an entire 28 passenger bus all to ourselves!!!

We drove about an hour and a half to the falls where we had a great time! It wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. It wasn't difficult either but there were definitely some places where we couldn't see where to step and I almost fell on my face a few times. In fact, I fell onto a rock and banged up my good knee! At the exit of the falls was a small craft mart where local Jamaicans peddle their wares. We were in good spirits at first but, as we left with two necklaces, a wooden Red Stripe mug, a small wooden turtle, and a painted Jamaican couple with our names carved into them, Mark said all he wanted was to get back to the resort. His friend Toby had warned us that we'd be taken by those guys because we are both such softies and they don't all take no for an answer. Oh well. We have souvenirs!

After the falls, we stopped by the Dunns River Sandals for lunch and were very impressed with the place. Especially the beach. It was beautiful and beckoned to us to take a dip. So, after lunch and a quick swim, we started back to our resort.
On the drive back to the resort, our cabbie stopped at the side of the road for us to buy something they call ginnups or Jamaican sea grapes. You bite into the skin, pop the seed into your mouth, suck the juices off of it, and then put it back into the skin. Mark liked them. I tried it at least!

Our driver, Leslie, was great. He took us to the falls on one route, we even stopped at a local rest stop and bought Jamaican Red Bull and Vitamin Water (I know, not very "When in Rome..."). He then took us a different way home, explaining the sights to us along the way. Did you know that Jamaica is a major producer of boxite? We didn't.

Sunday's dinner was at the resort's french restaurant, Le Jardinier. One of the luxuries of going all-inclusive is that you can order one of everything on the menu. So, for appetizers we did just that. Guess what I tried? Can you guess? That's right - escargot!!! And, you know what? It really wasn't too bad. It tasted like chewy, buttery, garlic. It's a mind over matter thing though and I had to chew it and swallow it as quickly as possible but at least I tried it. After dinner, we went to a drumming/dancing show and then for our nightly dip in the pool. The pub is closed on Sundays.

We awoke on Monday morning to find the sun shining brightly and calling us to come bask in its warmth. We took a boat over to the resort's private island, previously known as Kokomo, and relaxed by the pool. When exploring the island, we found this sign: And, yes, we tried it. For about 10 minutes we were scrunched up in water that was about a foot deep. Until we realized just how public this "private" beach was. At that time, the pool bar had opened and we were in need of a drink or two. Unfortunately, they didn't have any bananas on the island so no coladas for me. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the mainland, in the pool, at the bar, and sleeping in chaise lounges. Ahhh, perfect relaxation.

For dinner on our last night, we took the boat back to the island and the resort's Royal Thai restaurant. Another new thing for me. It was delicious and romantic and a perfect way to wrap up our trip.

Because our flight back to L.A. wasn't until 4:50 in the afternoon, we were able to check out on Tuesday morning but then continue to enjoy the resort for a couple of hours. We swam and I had a couple of banana coladas one last time, we ate lunch, and then we were off to the airport.

To REALLY put icing on this vacation cake, we flew Air Jamaica direct from Montego Bay to LAX and not only were our bags free (Spirit charged us $15 each to take them there) but we recieved a hot dinner, complimentary champagne, free headphones, and an in-flight movie!

We really are lucky to have been afforded the opportunity to take this vacation. Had Hurricane Dean not "interrupted" our honeymoon, I don't know when we would have had this experience. Life is good.

Vacation, Vacation

I am at a point where I just can't sit still any longer waiting for both of our fabulous vacations!!!



First, on Thursday night, we will be heading to Jamaica and staying at the beautiful Sandals Royal Caribbean for four nights and five days. While there, we are planning on climbing the Dunns River Falls. Mark is terrified at the thought of being up 600 feet but one of his friends has been there and said that 75 year old ladies do it so that we'll be fine.

We are also planning on taking a raft down the Martha Brae River. Mark's friend said that it is a very mellow adventure with just the two of us, the guy who paddles the raft, and a little Jamaican kid who swims across the river to deliver us beer and rum punch.

We will get back from Jamaica on Tuesday, July 22 only to start getting ready for our road trip to Michigan. After much hemming and hawing, we have decided to drive cross-country to visit our friends and family in the Great Lakes State.

We will be leaving on the 29th after Mark gets out of work. He said he would like to leave no later than 9 but we'll see about that. We are going to be driving as much as possible before stopping to rest since we have plans to camp in Metamora from the 31st through the 3rd with Mark's best friends.

We have no concrete plans as of now for the 4th through the 8th but we are planning on spending at least a couple of days/evenings with my dad and Amy and the kids. We're having a BBQ on the 9th at my mom's and hope that everyone can make it. It'll give us a chance to see everyone, plus Mike and Kristi will be there to show off Colin! On the 10th, my mom and I are hosting a baby shower for Becky at her place in Lansing.

The 11th, of course, is our anniversary and we are thinking of having a nice dinner and staying the night at the Ren Cen in downtown Detroit. We will then be spending a couple of days with Mike, Kristi and Colin, possibly up in Bay Harbor but all of the details haven't been worked through yet. We will be going to Madison, WI on the 15th for Karen and Scott's wedding and staying through the 17th or 18th and then returning to MI for our final few days.

The best thing about driving is that we don't have any real deadlines. If we plan on leaving on the 20th but something comes up, we can always leave on the 21st. We HAVE to be back for an annual party that Mark's parents host on the 30th of August but are planning on getting back about a week before that. Mark will then either go to work for the school district or return to work at BJ's on the 3rd os September.

We have a lot of preparing to do, but I guess I just have to take it one amazing vacation at a time. :}

63

Mark got the results from his test with the school district and he scored 63 out of 65!!! I'm so proud of my hubby! He will be hearing within the next week or so about the panel interview. Keep your fingers crossed!

Outsourcing

Ugh! I just hung up the phone after speaking with a man whose name was allegedly "Sam" that I really couldn't understand. I believe my credit card payment has been posted but Sam could've told me that I just purchased a small, private island using the card and I wouldn't have known the difference. Frustrating.

Crossroads

Mark has been thinking for a long while now about leaving his job at BJ's mostly because he wants a schedule that is more conducive for a family man. His friends have stopped calling to invite him places because the assumption is that he is always working. Even when he does have a day off, he usually spends it recuperating from the hellish 60+ hour week he's just had. The company has been good to him and it is a growing company in an economy that is not so certain but he has started to feel like he lives to work rather than the opposite.

At the beginning of June, I noticed a posting for a job with the school district as a cafeteria manager. It is 40 hours/week, 10 months/year - the same schedule that I work. That means, spring break, Christmas break, Monday holidays, etc. would all be days that we could share together. He, of course, turned in his resume immediately. There are four steps in the process of being hired: 1) The paper review 2) The test 3) The panel interview 4) The final interview. He has passed step #1 and will be taking the test on Tuesday. One great thing about this process is that the woman who would be his boss is a friend of mine who is on my softball team. She was super excited to hear that Mark applied for the position but he must still jump through all of the hoops in order to get to the final interview with her.

Knowing that this job with the district might happen and being fed up with his current position at the restaurant, Mark put in his 2 week notice last Tuesday. Well, he attempted to at least. His area director (his bosses boss) told him that she worries that he may not be making to best decision and that he should take as much time off as he needs to figure out what he wants to do. She told him to apply for jobs and try to get hired elsewhere (not in the restaurant business, of course) but that, if he doesn't find anything, his job at BJ's is still there for him. I think this response is incredible!!!

At this point, his plan is to take the next period off (from July 30-Aug 26) to see what happens at the district and, of course, take a trip to MI. When we were discussing this change in his career and his desire to leave BJ's, I never imagined it could work out so well. We will be able to take the vacation we want AND he can wait to hear about the job he really wants before officially leaving the company.

Summer Vacation!!!

I am officially off on summer vacation! Woo Hoo!!! I am, however, teaching summer school and that starts on Monday. I am looking forward to it though. My co-teacher is taking an actual summer vacation and not teaching so I will be working with a teacher who normally teaches special ed. at an elementary school in the district. Between the two of us we will have 24 students. I have split the kids up so that I will have the 11 (yes, 11) incoming freshmen along with my two more high profile cases (meaning parents have a history of breathing down our necks) and she will have a dream of a caseload of students who have all been at the high school for at least one year. I think summer school is a great way for the freshmen to get accustomed to their new environment, teachers, and classmates. We have an interesting mix of kids coming to us next year. We have students coming to us from the class that typically feeds into ours, students from a class that is typically a step below ours, and students from two different classes that are each at least one step above ours. We shall see how it all pans out. As far as I know, though, none of them are biters! ;)

As you know, since Hurrican Dean paid us a visit while we were on our honeymoon, we are heading to Jamaica for free in July. We booked our flights yesterday and cannot wait to sip banana coladas on the beach. Mmm... We'll be flying a red-eye to Montego Bay on my birthday and coming home on the 22nd of July.

After summer school lets out on July 24, Mark and I will be heading to Michigan. We had originally planned on driving and camping cross country with the dog in tow. Then we decided not to bring the dog and to drive Mark's little convertible all the way there. Now we are thinking that it may be more cost effective if we don't drive at all but fly instead. We're trying to figure out the best deal for a cheap rental car. Nobody has a spare vehicle laying around, do they? We'll gladly take it off your hands for a few weeks. :) Yes, you read correctly, a few WEEKS! We're thinking of flying in on or about the 28th of July and flying out on or about the 20th of August. We're thinking of flying in and out of Chicago since we'll be heading back home after Karen's wedding in Madison. Busy, busy, busy.

Bygones...

I received a letter today from a friend with whom I had a huge blow out recently (as huge of a blow out you can have via email, that is). I was referred to as an e-Bully which, had I not been so angry, I would have found very funny. Anyway, I got a letter today that indicated this person was aware of their recent upsetting behavior and that they were willing to forgive me for mine. (sigh of relief) I think the strongest of friendships have had to endure some struggles. I'm hopeful that we can move forward again as friends.

It's a boy!

And a girl and another boy...King's a daddy! Mark called me today when he got the word that Pookie delivered 6 healthy puppies on Wednesday. We can't wait to go see them. I think Mark's sister is trying to convince his dad to let her keep one. We shall see...

It's just not worth it!

I spent the entire day yesterday recovering from the plethora of martinis that I drank on Saturday. We went over to Mark's boss's house and the two of them talked shop for hours while Mark's boss's boyfriend and I proceeded to get smashed. We stayed the night, obviously, and boy did I pay for it yesterday! We are going for dinner and drinks on Mark's boss's boss tonight. Believe me, I'll be sticking to good 'ol fashioned H2O!

Strawberry Fields Forever

I had a crazy busy weekend that consisted of mostly fun things and nothing like laundry or cleaning at all! I'm paying for it now, but it was nice at the time.

Friday night I went to a Lia Sophia jewelry party at the house of a girl from work. I bought a couple things but, most importantly, booked a party of my own! Mark thinks I got swindled but you get so much free and/cheap stuff just for hosting a party. I'm not out any cash so I figured I'd give it a shot. My party will be June 14th at 1:00 in our backyard. I can't wait to have people over!

Saturday afternoon I had to take an educational technology test in order to get an endorsement on my teaching credential. I feel like I did fine and I always do really well on standardized tests but until I see the results I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. Saturday night I went to Prom! Well, I just stopped by actually. A few of my students decided to go as a group - they did the whole thing, pre-Prom party, limo, etc. I went to their pre-Prom and took a gazillion pictures and then met them at the dance to be sure they got in okay and were comfortable and all that jazz. About 40 minutes into the dance they were telling me to leave. What a great experience for them all! I then went home and finished up my final group project for an educational research class that I was taking this semester.

Mark had the day off on Sunday so we washed the cars and took the top off of the Jeep. We then headed about 2 hours up the 101 to Oxnard and the California Strawberry Festival. It was ridiculously hot, especially after roasting in the car for that long but the strawberries were delicious. We had strawberry pizza and strawberry beer too! Along the way, we had stopped to pick up Mark's friend Dave (the guy who introduced us) and we met up with his wife for dinner after the strawberry festivities were over. Overall it was a great weekend!

Weekly Weigh-In

Lost 0.4 lbs over the past two weeks. I'm pleased with that though since I did skip my meeting last week and that usually starts me on a downward spiral of losing motivation. No meeting next Monday, I'm going to weigh in on Sunday morning instead.

Out the same way she came in...

I came home from school on Wednesday to a whining and whimpering King but no Pookie. While I was at school that day the brother of the guy who dropped her off came to get her. He took her to live at his machine shop, pregnant belly and all. Apparently, he is planning on keepinher along with two of the puppies. We really didn't want a second dog but we had grown attached to her and, though it made me sad, we're okay with the fact that she's gone. I'm glad he came while I was gone, I definitely would have cried if I'd have been here.

Horoscope

My horoscope on MSN said:

The clouds have finally lifted, and you should be able to see clearly again, dear Cancer. You will find that people are likely to stick up for themselves more than usual. You should do the same. Arguments could be especially heated today, and interesting facts and revolutionary information will be passed around from person to person. Make sure you have your facts straight before you open your mouth.

For those of you who know about my day today, you know how strange this is!!!

Clarification

I just spoke with a very reliable source that told me that my dad does NOT have an autoimmune problem as I had stated in an earlier entry. He has something called amyotrophic neuropathy which basically means an "unknown" neuropathy. It doesn't change the symptoms at all, he's losing the use of his left hand, but that's what it is called.

Weekly Weigh-In

Well, my friends, I ditched my WW meeting this week. I know, I know, I'm a terrible weight watcher. But Mark had the night off and we wanted to go out for dinner and I'll be back next week, just you wait...

Ugh!

I realize that I am uber-lucky to have a career that give me a vacation half-way through the year and I understand that not everyone has that luxury. That said, I CANNOT wait until summer vacation. Understand though, that when I say "summer vacation" that means teaching from 7:45 until 1:20 rather than 2:45. Yes, a measly hour and twenty minutes makes all the difference. I had a hellish week last week between finishing up state testing, writing end-of-the-year IEPs, dealing with the clash of personalities in my department, oh yeah and TEACHING! Needless to say, I really needed this weekend and I spent most of it doing absolutely nothing at all thinking that it would help me to get mentally back on track. Well, here it is Sunday evening and I find myself counting the weeks until the year is over (5 1/2). Enough ranting from me, I'm off to cuddle with my husband - I'm sure that'll make me feel better!

Weekly Weigh-In

Dropped another 1.8 lbs. this week! My total weight loss is now 5.4 lbs. with 10 more weeks 'til Jamaica. (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)

Colin

Has everybody met my nephew, Colin Isaac? He just turned 3 months old on the 30th. We love him so much and Uncle Mark and I can't wait to see him in August. How can you not love this face?!?!?!

Posting Fever

2 posts in a matter of minutes? I just have a few more things to share...

1: At this point in time, we have two dogs! The guy who dropped off his female golden went to Montenegro for the summer and won't be back until August. Before he left, Mark's dad asked him about the dog and he told him to keep it. They are currently sitting on the fence as to whether she can stay or not. But, she's been here so long already and the dogs have really bonded. We heard that she was kept in a crate at her last home and it shows. She was super-skiddish when she first moved in but she isn't so much anymore and she has even started sleeping in the house with us. She does bark a heck of a lot more than King does though and Mark's dad is hating that. Her name is Pookie but we're trying to think of something else to call her. She is a really sweet girl and both Mark and I are really hoping that a) she isn't pregnant and b) we can keep her.

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2: I (heart) my Mini. Those of you who know the circumstances behind our acquisition of the car know that I was, to put it mildly, not TOO enthused to have the car, or more specifically, the car payment dropped in our lap. BUT, a couple of months later, I have really started to love driving it. It is, by far, the nicest car I've ever had and it's like being part of an exclusive club. Even in the owner's manual, it tells you to honk or wave to other Minis as you pass them on the street. Funny enough, it does happen.



3: How do I write, then add a pic and then write some more? I tried to do it with the above two pictures but, obviously, couldn't figure it out. Nevermind - Thanks Angela!

4: There are several people in my life whose are currently having major health problems. My dad, of course, is constantly in my thoughts. He's told me the name of what is going on with his hand but, from what I understand, it's an autoimmune problem that is causing him to lose functioning in his left hand. Doctors are trying to find a way to make it stop but it doesn't look like he'll ever regain the full use of his hand again. Tina, Mark's older sister, is back in the hospital. It's strange how common it has become and how normal it is to simply say, "Tina's back in the hospital." She is doing okay and I can never really explain what exactly put her there because I'm never clear myself. She is on mega-doses of medications because of her kidney transplant and her immune system is very weak. Even a simple stomach flu lands her back in the hospital. Nosh, Mark's dad, had surgery last week to fix a corroded artery and to prevent stroke. He looked like he had a zipper on the side of his face but he is recovering now - just moving very slowly around the house. The last person who I'm thinking about tonight is Mark's best friend's little sister, Tara, she is younger than I am and was recently released from the hospital and is now in hospice care with 10% of liver functioning. She's been sick for awhile but things have recently taken a drastic turn for the worse. I'm thinking about her, her mom, and Darin too. What a hard thing for a family to go through.

Getting Over a Fear

When I was younger (think 12, 13 ,14...) I played softball on a summer league. I played right field for awhile and then was moved to catcher. I loved to play and I loved being part of a team but, by no means, was I any good. I mean, I wasn't the WORST on the team but I was close. And what was worse was that my team (who mercied almost every team we played) had no faith in my ability. I was the greatest cheerleader and I gave it my all. My coaches used to tell the other girls that they wished everyone would give as much as I had and that I was the only one who gave 110%. I tried out for the team in high school but didn't make it. In fact, the try out lead to one of my most embarassing moments ever...

For one part of the try-out, we had to hit a ball from a tee and run the distance to first base. It must have been raining outside or something because we did this drill in the gym. When it was my turn, I stepped up to the tee. My stomach was in knots and my heart was beating a million miles a second. I whacked the ball from the tee - a solid hit. Before I knew what happened, I was face down on the gym floor. I was so eager to start running that I tripped over my own feet and fell. I stood up, giggled, and asked if I could go again. I looked at the girls who were waiting their turn and even the girls who I thought would be my allies in this situation avoided eye contact. It was horrible.

So, here I am, 13 years later and a friend of mine from work asked me to join her co-ed slow pitch team. I told her that I'm terrible and that playing softball competitively is a huge fear of mine now. She assured me that it didn't matter so I joined. I just finished the last game of my second season with them and couldn't be happier that I made the choice to play. I've gotten steadily better and, in two seasons, have only struck out twice. Last game, I got a double and tonight I got three hits and an RBI.

I am quite proud of myself for facing my fear and, while standing alone on 2nd base still make me nervous, I'm having fun and getting better too. Summer season starts May 30th and I can't wait!

My mom, my friend

Today is my mom's birthday and, every year, I feel like I just can't do enough to show her how much I appreciate her and the relationship we have. Even 2100 miles away, we still have the kind of relationship I know any girl would love to have with their mom. I love our marathon phone calls and the time that we do get to spend together (lots of times in a movie theatre somewhere). Some day, I'll take her to lunch or to the show on her birthday. For now, though, I guess flowers will have to do. I love you Mom! Happy Birthday!

Weigh In...

2.8 lbs down!!! Woo Hoo! And that's with three nights of going out for drinks! Brings the total weight loss to 3.6 lbs. now, that's 10% of my goal. 11 more meetings until Jamaica - bathing suit, here I come!

I am woman!

While doing ten, yes TEN, loads of laundry today, I also single-handedly put together this lovely dresser that we got at IKEA yesterday. I also took the drawers off of the wardrobes that we already had, took them apart, and put them back together so that they worked again. Thankfully, our clothes all have a place to stay now and we no longer have to force things into drawers in order to have them put away.

0.8 lbs

I finally went back to my WW meeting this past Monday to find out that I weigh a meager 0.8 lbs. less than I did when I made my resolution to lose weight back in January. As a positive, at least I hadn't gained any weight since then. I suppose that's why I need to continue to go to my meetings. I've had a pretty good week so far. We to Dave & Buster's out on Tuesday night and are going out for drinks tonight after Lindsay's show. But, accordingly to our scale this morning, I'm down 2.5 lbs. this week. I think I'm back on track!

Weight Watchers? What's that?

So, remember those 30 pounds I was talking about? Still here. I have no idea why it has been impossible for me to get and stay motivated. We are going to Jamaica three months from today. That's 12 weeks. I can lose, AT LEAST, 12 pounds in that time. I just MUST STAY MOTIVATED. The saddest part is that Mark is totally there and ready to do it but I'm the one who can't - a bit of a role reversal. As I'm sitting here typing this, I should be at my WW meeting. I've had a good couple of days though so I'm hoping to stay on this role. I drank a gallon of water today. That's a good thing. I also ate a cupcake. Not such a good thing. Like I said, though, I just need to stay on track. Wish me luck...

A Day At the Races (and then some)

In California there are three companies that supply all restaurants, bars, and stores with beer, wine, and alcohol. One of them is called "Young's Market." This past Monday, Young's hosted an event at Santa Anita Racetrack where everything was completely covered. We pulled into valet parking for no charge and were then admitted into the exclusive restaurant/bar at the track. We were able to find a table right at the finish line! They hosted a delicious buffet and an open bar. The best part was that there were representatives there from any liquor company you can think of trying to get people to serve their particular brand at their respective restaurant, bar, or store. These people were mixing drinks and giving away all KINDS of free samples. After the races (where, incidentally, we won $80) we headed to a hole-in-the-wall around the corner called "100 to 1" and then on to BJ's where we could eat again for free. Needless to say, by this point, we had consumed our fair share of adult beverages. Luckily for us, we ran into a representative from the Doubletree Suites next door. They hooked us up with a $200+ room for $39. The room was beautiful - ultra modern and trendy. We had left our car at BJ's around the corner so we looked like quite the couple walking the block and a half back in the morning with Mark in a suit and me in a dress and heels. Can you say, "Walk of Shame?" People were looking at us like we were crazy. But it was totally worth it - we had a great time! We always love being treated like the VIPs we are.

Help...

Mark and I have been invited to a 10th anniversary party for one of my girlfriends from work. It's at a trendy bowling alley - their invite said "10 pins, 10 frames, 10 years" - I thought it was pretty cute and creative. Anyway, I have no idea what to give them as a gift. Any ideas?

Woo Hoo!!!!

It's FINALLY Spring Break!!! I am so thrilled to have an agenda full of nothing to do. Well, not exactly nothing. I still have class Tuesday and Thursday night (with assignments due both days); but, Mark has 5 of the 9 days off with me and I am super excited to sleep in and not have to deal with my students, parents, and paraeducators for a few days. It's crazy that this year is already 3/4 finished. Just crazy! Time flies when you're having fun, I guess...

That's It!

On Sunday morning, I weighed in at the most I have weighed since my first endeavor with Weight Watchers back in 2002. Don't get me wrong, I haven't maxed out yet but I was heading in that direction. Mark and I both agreed that we need to get motivated again. After all, we're going to Jamaica in 3 1/2 months. So, it's on. My ultimate goal is to lose a total of 30 lbs. There it is, in writing - 30 lbs. Most recently, I'd been attending WW meetings on Monday nights but have found that it gets very hard after Mark has a weekend off since we like to out for dinner and drinks. There is a 4:00 and a 6:30 meeting on Friday afternoons so I'm going to start going to one of those. Wish me luck and please bear with me as I continue along this path of lifelong struggle with my waistline.

Baseball History

Mark and I had an amazing Saturday when we were able to be a part of baseball history. The Dodgers are celebrating their 50th anniversary of playing in Los Angeles and, as a kick off to the year of celebrations, played an exhibition game against the Red Sox at the Coliseum. When they first moved to L.A. from Brooklyn in 1958, the Dodgers played in the Coliseum for three seasons while Dodger Stadium was being built. Although we lost, it was an amazing spectacle to see 115,300 fans dressed in Dodger blue.

Oops...

On Thursday afternoons, my students practice their cursive writing. To make it a little more fun, I always play some kind of music. My co-teacher and I decided to start a fun music unit in which we review facts about different bands or artists before the kids start writing then play their music for the rest of class. Today was our first day and we covered The Beatles (of course). As I got class started, my co-teacher suggested that we pull out the video from my closet about the 60s. It's part of a set with each decade having its own tape. The videos were in my closet when I started teaching in the classroom last year although I haven't watched most of them. We figured that, since The Beatles were on the cover of the 60s video, they would be in it as well. We were right, of course. We fast forwarded through almost an hour of the National Geographic/History Channel type documentary to find them but we did, eventually, do so. They were on for about a minute before the documentary cut to images of the counter-culture of the 60s, including pot-smoking, naked girls!!!! IN MY CLASSROOM!!!! My co-teacher and I raced to the t.v. to shut it off but not before a pair of hippy boobs flashed my students! Whoops. One of my students, a 15 year-old boy with Down Syndrome, started fanning his face and asked to borrow the video! I almost immediately ran to the principal's office to give a full confession and, luckily for me, he found the whole ordeal as hilarious as my co-teacher and I did. Hopefully parents think it's funny too!

Grrr....

Some days my fuse is much shorter than others. Today was one of those days. All I wanted to do today was go shopping for some new spring clothes (hooray for tax returns) so once I finished the laundry, I headed out. This happened to be around 7:00. I dropped some film off at CVS for 1-hour photo and was promised they'd be done at 8:00. I then headed to the mall with two destinations in mind - Victoria's Secret and NY & Co. When I walked in, I realized that today is Saturday so the mall closes at 8:00. The mall is crazy busy, as always, with groups of people strolling around. After dodging the crowd, I head into VS and grab what I need then get in line. Well, there are two cashiers that both have a customer in line. Being the next guest, I stood in the middle figuring I'd start one line for people to get into. That way, when one cashier was ready the next person could go to her rather than people choosing a line to get into. The first cashier opened up and, as the first person in line, I took a step toward her but then some other lady stepped in front of me. Apparently, she thought there was only one line. I know this is no big deal but it frustrated the crap outta me! The cashier then said she didn't know who would be next since the line was all confused. I told her, and the whole store, that I was there before the lady she was helping so I would be next. She just stared at me. After VS, I headed over to NY & Co. with only 30 minutes to shop. It was crazy in there! I took one lap around the store and grabbed a couple of things but then left empty-handed and deflated. I just couldn't deal. In stopped at Boston Market to get dinner on my way back to CVS. Perfect timing, it's 8:00. Of course, though, when I get there the pictures aren't done. They say it'll be 15 minutes. Not wanting to come back later, I found a magazine and waited. I finally left with my pictures at 9:00!!! Frustrated and pretty darn ticked off. So now I'm home eating cold Boston Market and watching Williy Wonka - with commercials. :(

Our Baby King

As long as I've known Mark, especially once we moved in together, I've wanted to get a dog. I grew up with dogs all my life. But I didn't want some yippy little rat-dog, I wanted a good-sized, rough and tumble type of dog. Luckily for us, a guy that worked at his restaurant had to get rid of his 3 year-old golden retriever, King. We got him in September and quickly fell in love. He is the sweetest, calmest, quietest dog I've ever met. A friend of Mark's dad has a female golden and I asked him, jokingly, if he wanted to make puppies. Well, he dropped his female dog off the next day and we haven't heard from him since. It's been almost two weeks! The dogs like each other but we don't have any idea if they're planning on making puppies anytime soon. It's hilarious coming home to two big dogs, especially when King starts fighting for our attention; but, at the same time, we have no idea how long we're going to have this other dog at our house. Who knows, though, maybe next year we'll have a baby King and a baby Prince!

My First Time...

I've never blogged before and, most days, I feel like I have nothing to blog about. But because I LOVE reading everyone else's so much, I figured I should join in the fun. Besides, when I finally do have something to write about, I can look back at how simple my life once was. While I can't promise to write everyday or anything crazy, I know I'll be better at this than I was with my attempts at myspace and facebook. :)